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Why?
Because it has become clear that small countries can no longer be important to the global economy. We need an organisation that protects their cultural identity and represents them on the world stage and the financial markets. In order to survive, and in particular to compete with places that can offer cheap manual labour, these countries need solid economic representation and a proper commercial union. We also need to stop dividing the world into two groups: the traditional Anglo-Saxon elite and poor countries that are there purely to be exploited. We should be celebrating the differences between people in each individual country, not trying to make everybody the same.
3
Claudia Schiffer
The fairest of them all
She was the most beautiful and highly paid woman on earth, and probably also the most censored. âIâm the only model who's never been photographed toplessâ, she used to boast. Even her multi-million-dollar contract with Revlon forbade her from posing nude.
But everything changed when two Spanish photographers from the Korpa Agency lifted the veil, allowing the whole world to admire the legendary Claudia Schiffer's perfect breasts. The international press had a field day; only German weekly Bunte spared her blushes on the cover, and even they plastered the topless photos on a multi-page spread inside the magazine. Claudia protested furiously and announced she would be suing and seeking astronomical damages.
I had a couple of contacts in the fashion industry, so I decided to strike while the iron was hot and try to arrange an interview with her for the Italian weekly Panorama . It was certainly no cakewalk, but after dozens of phone calls and protracted negotiations with her obstructive agent, my persistence was rewarded in August 1993, when I was invited to interview Claudia on a family holiday in the Balearics.
This was a genuine scoop. Claudia had never previously spoken to the Italian press and I was the first journalist to be invited into the intimate family surroundings of her holiday home. This was the very place where the photos at the centre of the scandal had been taken: Port dâAndratx, an exclusive resort west of Palma on the island of Majorca, and the location for many years of a holiday home belonging to the Schiffer family.
In 1993, Claudia had a particularly good reason for heading down there to relax. She had just finished playing herself in a long film / documentary entitled Around Claudia Schiffer, directed by Claude Lelouch's former assistant director Daniel Ziskind and filmed in France, Germany and the United States. Filming had just ended, and TV stations the world over were scrambling to acquire the rights.
Just before I set off, I let it slip (probably not entirely by accident, if Iâm honest) to a rather wealthy friend whose family owned a renowned tool company that I was going to Palma de Majorca to meet Claudia. At which point my friend assured me I wouldnât need to book a hotel: âI've got a [magnificent hundred-foot sailing] yacht down there. There are five sailors and a cook swanning round Palma right now at my expense with nothing to do. At least if you head down there, theyâll have to work for their money! And youâll get to enjoy a nice little cruise from Palma down to Port dâAndratx!â
I didnât need a second invitation, and so on the day of the interview I stepped down off my buddy's yacht on to the marina at Port dâAndratx after a two-hour journey from Palma. Giving a cheery wave to the crew, I headed for Café de la Vista, a nice little spot opposite the throng of moored yachts, where I was scheduled to meet Claudia at three-thirty.
Surely no journalist had ever arrived for an interview in such style!
*****
I donât have to wait long before an Audi 100 with a Düsseldorf plate rolls up. Theyâre here. Two men are in the front, and on the back seat I can see her ever-present agent Aline Soulier. âWhere is she?â I wonder anxiously. Iâm not disappointed for long. A wavy-haired blonde appears from behind Aline and leans forward in her seat. âHi, Iâm Claudia,â she says, extending her hand and flashing me a smile. She's astoundingly beautiful, a mesmerising mix of Lolita and the Virgin Mary.
No one gets out of the car. âThere are paparazzi everywhere,â whispers Aline as we make the short journey to the family holiday home, a brick-red, single-storey villa. Leading the way, Claudia tells me I am the first reporter she has ever invited here, before introducing me to her family: âThis is my little brother, my sister Carolin, my mother.â Claudiaâs mother has a typically German look: short blonde hair, very refined and standing even taller than her five-foot-eleven daughter. Her father, a lawyer practising in Düsseldorf, is not here. Those in the know say he is the one who has orchestrated her success from the shadows, the man responsible for her fame as one of the worldâs most beautiful women.
It all started for you in a Düsseldorf night club, didnât it?
I was so young. One night, I was approached by the head of the Metropolitan agency, who asked me to work for him.
How did you react?
I said to him: âIf youâre being serious, you can talk to my parents tomorrow.â I mean, people try all sorts of different chat-up lines in clubs. That could easily have been another, and not a very original one at that...
Are you close to your family?
Very. As a family, we have our feet on the ground. My father is a lawyer and my mother helps him with the admin side of things. They haven't been changed by my success; it takes a lot to impress them. Of course, theyâre very proud of me, but to them it's just my job and they expect me to do it to the best of my ability.
Aren't your siblings jealous?
Of course not! Theyâre just proud of me, particularly my twelve-year-old brother. I have a sister whoâs 19 and goes to university, so there's no competition between her and me, and finally I have a twenty-year-old brother and we get on great.
Do you always come on holiday with them to Majorca?
I have done ever since I was very young. I love this place.
But now you're older, it looks like you find it hard just being able to go out for a walk around here...
You're right. There are paparazzi everywhere, hiding in plants; itâs embarrassing. Every move I make is observed, studied, photographed... Itâs not exactly a holiday if you look at it like that! (laughs ).
I suppose thatâs the price of fame...
Exactly. But I often go out on the boat with my mum and my brothers and sisters. I feel like they can't hassle me as much at sea.
Really?
Oh, you mean the topless shots? I honestly donât understand how that could have happened. I was out on the boat with my mum and my sister Carolin. We were anchored and taking the chance to soak up some sun. Peter Gabriel was also there. Heâs a dear friend of mine...
We saw...
Well, there you go. He was also in the photos. But Iâd rather not talk about it. Anyway, Iâve already instructed my lawyers to seek damages...
People say you'd like to become an actress.
Iâd like to give it a go, thatâs all. People keep offering me scripts, and the more I read the more I want to have a go... Right now Iâd love to do a film. I really would.
But you won't be appearing in Robert Altman's film Prêt-à -porter next year?
Itâs absolutely unbelievable. The press all over the world keep talking about it, but itâs categorically not true. Plus, I donât want to do a film where Iâm just playing myself.
If you had to choose between a supermodel and an actress, what would you be?
You can't be a model all your life. Itâs a career for really young girls and you can only do it for a few years, a bit like playing tennis or swimming. So you need to make hay while the sun shines. Afterwards, I'd also like to go to university and study art history.
You've always said you will defend your privacy at all costs. Isnât it a bit of a contradiction doing this documentary about your life, in your home, your parentsâ home?
I donât think so. The truly private moments will remain as such. In the film, you only see what I have consciously chosen to reveal: my family, my friends, my holidays, my hobbies... Basically, the things I love. And then there's also all the travelling around, the fashion shows, my photographers, the press conferences...
Do you live sometimes in Paris and sometimes in Monte Carlo?
Essentially, I live in Monte Carlo. I always go back there when Iâm not working, at weekends for example.
Does your agent travel everywhere with you?
Not normally. I need her when I have to work in countries that Iâm not familiar with. Like Argentina, Japan, Australia or South Africa. In those places, there are so many fans, reporters, paparazzi...
Does it get tedious travelling around so much?
No, because I love reading and a good book always makes the time pass more quickly, even on a plane. Plus, itâs my job; itâs not a holiday!
What sort of books do you read?
Mainly books about art. My favourite movements are Impressionism and Pop Art. I also really like history and reading biographies of great men and women. I read one on Christopher Columbus. It was incredible!
People have said youâre half Brigitte Bardot and half Romy Schneider. Do you think that's fair?
Yes, although not so much physically. Itâs more that I think I share certain aspects of their character and lifestyle... I find Bardot an extraordinary woman as well as incredibly beautiful. What a character! I also kind of worship Romy Schneider. I've seen all her films and it was just horrible when she died. Such a tragic life...
Apart from the tragic events, would you like to be the new Romy Schneider?
Wow, what a compliment! Being compared to all these beautiful women. Itâs really flattering, but above all I just want to do everything I can to be me.
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
I certainly didn't think I would become a model. I guess I wanted to be a lawyer.
Like your father?
Yeah, I was all set to go and work for his firm. And then all my plans changed. I realised this was too good an opportunity to turn down, so I grabbed it with both hands.
Your story is a bit of a fairytale for the modern ages. There must have been some tough times?
Oh, sure. But Iâm always confident in my own ability.
Whatâs your secret?
Plenty of discipline. And also being able to be around others. Iâm a people person. I like being able to think on my feet when Iâm facing a barrage of questions from reporters at a press conference. I see it as a challenge; it doesn't scare me.
Is it just about discipline?
You also need to stay level-headed. And thatâs where the way I was brought up comes in. My family have helped me a lot. They made me who I am: confident, pragmatic and well-balanced. I can stay in control even when Iâm out of my comfort zone. For example, itâs thanks to my parents that Iâm now able to speak in public without feeling shy.
If the media is anything to go by, you move pretty quickly from one relationship to another: one day itâs Prince Albert of Monaco, the next Julio Bocca. Who is the real Claudia?
The real Claudia is a girl who has lots of friends. Prince Albert is one of those, Julio Bocca is another. But thereâs also Plácido Domingo, Peter Gabriel and a load of other famous people. As soon as Iâm photographed with them, I have the entire worldâs press immediately claiming they're my boyfriend! Itâs not like that.
But do you eventually see yourself settling down, getting married, having kids?
Iâm absolutely ready to fall in love, the sooner the better. But I don't have a partner right now simply because Iâve not fallen in love with anyone.
What do you look for in a man?
I don't have an ideal type in terms of looks. The first thing I look for is personality, and sense of humour above everything. I need a man to charm me, to win me over with intelligence, with his mind. Someone who can teach me the true value of humour. I mean, you have to be able to laugh, don't you?
Sounds like a pretty demanding job being your boyfriend â¦
Anyone who is with a celebrity needs to be a strong character in their own right. I love men who have character but are also sensitive. If you want to be with me, you have to tolerate noise, intrusion, gossip, reporters...
Do you feel guilty at all?
What do you mean?
I mean, it seems like you have it all: beauty, fame, money...
I do feel lucky. I thank God and my parents for giving me the life I have. Thatâs why, when I can, I try to do something useful or helpful.
But it's not all sunshine and roses in the fashion world, is it? Thereâs drugs, alcohol, fierce rivalries...
Iâm not affected by drugs or alcohol. Jealousy, sure, but I donât really understand it. Models come in all shapes, sizes, personalities and mentalities, so I think there's room enough for everyone. And you donât have to be insanely beautiful. There's something beautiful about every woman. You just have to nurture it.
What do you need to make it big?
The main thing is character, because itâs not like there is a shortage of beautiful women in the world. After that, you need education, personality and discipline.
By that, do you also mean discipline when it comes to your diet?
Not really. I donât smoke and I don't drink, but thatâs only because neither thing appeals to me. I donât eat a lot of meat because I don't think itâs good for you, and Iâm careful about fats. But I love chocolate... Oh, and Fanta of course! (laughs ).
How are you with money?
Itâs not the be all and end all, but it will allow me to do what I want in the future. Money gives you freedom.
What does the word sex mean to you?
To me? (seems genuinely taken aback ).
Yes, to you.
Well, something that happens naturally between two people who are in love with each other. That's it.
Do you feel like you're a particularly sexual, or rather sensual, person?
Absolutely.
? yes!
4
Gong Li
Moonstruck
In early 1996, I had just started to work as a Far East correspondent. I and other journalist friends of mine would meet up with John Colmey, who was working for Time in Hong Kong. John put me in touch with the manager of the glamorous Chinese actress Gong Li, and I managed to get an exclusive interview with her for Panorama on the set of the movie she was filming near Shanghai.
*****
We are in Suzhou, a city on the shores of Lake Tai about fifty-five miles west of Shanghai, where Chen Kaige is preparing to shoot one of the final scenes of Temptress Moon , a film that is keenly anticipated following the global success of Farewell My Concubine three years ago. Crew members are scurrying between what must be more than two hundred extras dressed in 1920s clothing and crowded onto the jetty. The women are wearing typical silk cheongsams, some of the men are sat in sedan chairs reading and, in the background, dockers are loading cargo onto a steamer. They are filming a big farewell scene: Gong Li plays Ruyi, a beautiful and pampered heiress of an extremely wealthy Shanghai family beset by incest, opium abuse and double-crossing. She is about to set sail for Peking with her fiancé Zhongliang, played by Leslie Cheung, the Hong Kong actor whom she also starred alongside in Farewell My Concubine .
Stood on the jetty is Ruyi's childhood friend Duanwu (played by up-and-coming Taiwanese star Kevin Lin), who has secretly been in love Ruyi all along: âYou have to imagine this is the last time you will see her, the very last time! We need to see that in your face; thatâs what I want to see!â urges the forty-six-year-old Chen, who is wearing a leather jacket and black jeans. âRight... Yu-bei ... [Ready...] Action !â As Kevin Lin looks over at the departing ship, his pain is clear to see. â Okay! â yells a satisfied Chen. Thatâs a wrap for the day.
Having spent more than two years writing the script, Chen is working his backside off to get his film ready for the Cannes Festival in May. The son of Chen Huaiâai, himself a giant of post-war cinema, Chen is currently the leading figure in the Chinese film industry and has a reputation for getting the most out of his actors, sometimes stretching their patience to the limit. Just as he has done with the Chinese government, who banned, cut and censored his films for years before eventually acknowledging his status as a maestro of contemporary cinema.
At a cost so far of six million dollars, Temptress Moon to a certain extent represents the current status of the Chinese film industry: no longer totally repressed but not yet fully liberalised, shown across the globe but with its feet firmly planted in China, and simultaneously cosmopolitan yet parochial. And the film set appears to be a microcosm of modern-day China.
